Frederick a



'(No Model.) I

F. A. RUPF. SWITCH OPERATING MECHANISM.

No. 591,144. Patented 0015.5, 1897.

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FREDERICK A. RUFF, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO THE DETROIT AUTOMATIC SWITCH COMPANY, LIMITED, OF SAME PLACE.

SWITCH-OPERATING IVIECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 591,144, dated October 5, 189'?.

Application led February 3, 1897. Serial No. 621,752. (No model.)

T 0 @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK A. RUFF, a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, in the county of Vayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Switch-Operating Mechanism, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to that classV of railway-switches in which the switch may be operated from a car moving upon the track.'

The invention consists in the peculiar construction, arrangement, and combination of parts, and particularly in the construction of the intermediate mechanism between the movable rail of the switch and its actuating arm or tread, whereby1 successive actnations of said arm or tread will throw the switch alternately in opposite directions, all as more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure l is a sectional perspective view of my switch-throwin g mechanism. Fig. 2 is a cross-section thereof.

A are the stationaryT rails of the track, and .B is the movable or switch rail. v l

ings in the road-bed a short distance in front of the switch and in a position to be depressed Y by an arm depending from the car when the latter passes over the track. This tread Vis connected to the arm of a lever D, fulcrumed at E and extending to a point opposite the switch-rail B.

F is a rocking lever or walking-beam pivotally secured to a standard G above the end of the lever D and extending transversely of the track.

I-I is a rock-arm connected to the walkingbeam F, and I is a link connecting the end of this rock-arm to the, switch-rail B.

.I is a connecting-rod between the end of the lever D and the walking-beam F. At its lower end this rod is pivotally secured to the lever D and has a sliding connection at its upper end with the walking-beam, preferably by slotting the beam longitudinally and providing the upper end of the rod with an antifriction-roll a, adapted to run in said slot.

All the mechanism so far described is inclosed in a suitable casing, such as K, buried in the road-bed. r

The parts being constructed as shown and i described, their operation is as follows: When the car passes along the track, the motorman or driver, wishing to throw the switch, de-

presses a lever or arm on the car so that it will strike and depress the tread C as the car passes over it. This will causethe movement of the lever D, which will raise the connecting-rod .I and rock the walking-beam, the latter moving the arm H and the link I, while as soon as the operation is completed and the tread C is released the weight of the long arm of the lever D will cause it to fall again, carrying the rod .I down with it, the roll a runin the road-bed and two operating-arms onv each car, which is usual in other constructions.

Vhat I claim as my invention isd- 1. The combination with the movable switch-rail and its actuating arm or tread, of intermediate mechanism between said arm or tread and rail, comprising a `walking-beam and a reciprocating and oscillating connecting-rod slidingly secured to the beam adapted in its forward stroke to rock said beam and to slide to the opposite end thereof in its return stroke.

2. The combination with the movable switch-rail and its actuating arm or tread, of

intermediate mechanism between said arm or tread and rail, comprising a lever connected at one end to said tread and extending beneath said switch-rail, a walking-beam connected to said rail and a reciprocating and oscillating connecting-rod between said lever and beam slidingly secured to the latter, and adapted in its forward stroke to rock the beam and to slide tothe opposite end thereof JAMES Warmer/ione, M. B. ODOGHERTY.

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